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an open book with a drawing of a clock on itan old book with a drawing of a bearded man in a turbanan old book sitting on top of a white table
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Mathematics Tartaglia, Niccolò An anthology containing three important works by the mathematician and engineer Niccolò Tartaglia: I.: *Quesiti et inventioni diverse*. Venice, Niccolò de Bascarini for the author, 1554. 4 leaves, 5–128 leaves. – II.: Regola generale di solevare ogni fondata & navili con ragione. Venice, Curzio Troiano Navò, 1562. 32 unnumbered leaves. – III.: Nova scientia con una gionta al terzo libro. Venice, (Niccolò de Bascarini), 1558. 36 leaves. – With numerous woodcut illustrations, initials and diagrams, some full-page and folded. Venice, 1554–1562. Bound in full vellum with overhanging edges (Spanish binding), with a handwritten title on the spine and marbled edges on three sides. A richly illustrated anthology containing early editions of the major works of Niccolò Fontana Tartaglia (1499/1500–1557), a prominent Venetian mathematician, engineer, translator (of Archimedes and Euclid into Italian) and author of scientific works. - (I) Adams T 184. Breman 293. CNCE 31875. Cockle 660. Norman 2055. Riccardi I/2, 499. (II) Adams T 187. CNCE 31563. Cockle 660. Riccardi I/2, 504. (III) Adams T 191. CNCE 31552. Riccardi I/2, 496. Scherrer 49. - I) The second edition of 1554 (1st edition 1546) of his groundbreaking work on mathematics and its technical application in the fields of military ballistics (in particular the calculation of cannon trajectories), fortification, statics and topographical surveying. With the frequently missing flap (depicting a fortification wall) for the supplement, which is attached to the front edge of fol. 71r. - (II) The 3rd edition of 1562 (1st edition 1554) of Tartaglia’s *Regola*, a particularly richly illustrated treatise on the salvage of sunken ships, a subject in which he took an interest also in his capacity as accountant to the Republic of Venice. The book, written in the form of imaginary dialogues between Tartaglia and his pupil Richard Wentworth, also deals with deep-sea diving and meteorology for maritime navigation, and includes extracts from the treatise ‘De insidentibus aquae’ by Archimedes, which Tartaglia translated in full and published in Italian just three years later. – (III) The fourth edition, dated 1558, of Tartaglia’s magnum opus ‘Nova Scientia’ (first published in 1537), the very first printed treatise on ballistics and a groundbreaking work on motion in general, which paved the way for the discoveries of Galileo and others in this field. The title page of the *Nova Scientia* consists of a large woodcut illustration featuring the coat of arms of Francesco Maria II della Rovere, Duke of Urbino, and a full-page allegorical depiction showing the author amidst the scientific disciplines (all of which are personified as women) and surrounded by the great scholars of antiquity, such as Euclid, Aristotle and Plato. These three treatises were probably published together in 1562 by the Venetian printer and co-editor Curzio Troiano Navò, who used sheets from earlier editions of (I) and (II) that had originally been printed by Niccolò de Bascarini. - With an engraved bookplate bearing the monogram ‘F. C.’ on the front cover, a few leaves with old repairs at the bottom, some leaves with water stains on the margins, occasional slight foxing, (III) with a firm bookbinder’s cut at the bottom edge, but with no loss of text. Overall, a well-preserved copy of this collected works volume of particular significance for the history of mathematics and military technology. A profusely illustrated collected works (composite volume) containing early editions of the major works of Niccolò Fontana Tartaglia (1499/1500–1557), the eminent Venetian mathematician, engineer and translator (who first rendered Archimedes and Euclid into Italian). - (I) Adams T 184. Breman 293. CNCE 31875. Cockle 660. Norman 2055. Riccardi I/2, 499. (II) Adams T 187. CNCE 31563. Cockle 660. Riccardi I/2, 504. (III) Adams T 191. CNCE 31552. Riccardi I/2, 496. Scherrer 49. *Quesiti et inventioni diverse*: The second edition of 1554 (first published in 1546) of his groundbreaking work on mathematics and its practical application to military ballistics (specifically the calculation of cannonball trajectories), fortification design, statics, and topographical surveying. Complete with the frequently missing folding flap (depicting a fortress wall) attached to the fore-edge of leaf 71r. Regola generale da bauronare con ragone e misura no vamente trovata: The third edition of 1562 (first published in 1554) of Tartaglia’s *Regola*, a richly illustrated treatise on the salvage of sunken ships—a subject which also occupied him in his official capacity as an accountant for the Republic of Venice. Written in the form of imaginary dialogues between Tartaglia and his pupil Richard Wentworth, the book also explores deep-sea diving and maritime meteorology. Furthermore, it contains excerpts from Archimedes’ treatise *De insidentibus aquae*, which Tartaglia would go on to translate in full and publish in Italian just three years later.*Nova Scientia*: The fourth edition of 1558 of Tartaglia’s magnum opus (first published in 1537), the very first printed treatise on ballistics and a seminal work on motion in general, which directly paved the way for the discoveries of Galileo and others. The title page features a large woodcut illustration bearing the coat of arms of Francesco Maria II della Rovere, Duke of Urbino, alongside a full-page allegorical depiction showing the author standing amongst the scientific disciplines (all personified as women) and surrounded by the great scholars of antiquity, including Euclid, Aristotle and Plato. This lot is subject to standard tax. A 24.95% buyer’s premium is payable on the hammer price, and 7% (Books and Art) or 19% VAT (Manuscripts, Screenprints, Offset Prints, Photographs) is payable on the final invoice amount within the European Union. This lot is subject to the standard tax regime. A 24.95% buyer’s premium applies to the hammer price, and 7% (books and art) or 19% VAT (manuscripts, screen prints, offset prints and photographs) applies to the final invoice amount within the European Union.
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About the sale Valuable books, prints, historical photographs
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Auction time 10/24/2026 at 10:00 AM
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